The same principles apply to religious terms as to general vocabulary. Writers should resist the temptation to overcapitalize. Follow the guidelines below when deciding whether to capitalize a term associated with religion.
Words derived from names of religions
Capitalize most adjectives and verbs derived from the names of organized religions:
- Anglican
- Roman Catholic
- Shiite
- Greek Orthodox
- Free Methodist
- Christianize
but
- baptize
- baptism
- christen
Note: Do not capitalize such terms when they are not used in a religious sense:
- She is very catholic in her literary tastes.
- His ideas are quite orthodox.
Names of holy persons
Capitalize the names and titles of holy and revered persons:
- The Blessed Virgin
- Our Lady of Sorrows
- Mother Superior
- Saint Jerome
- Maimonides
- Buddha
- Baha’ullah
Theological concepts
Capitalize unique theological concepts:
- the Fall
- the Flood
- Original Sin
- the Second Coming
- the Nativity
- the Chosen People
- the Holy Grail
- the Holy of Holies
Titles of religious documents
Capitalize the titles of religious writings and documents, special prayers and devotional canticles, creeds and confessions:
- the Bible
- the Vulgate
- the Torah
- the Quran
- Deuteronomy
- the Apocrypha
- the Ten Commandments
- the Talmud
- the Lord’s Prayer (or the Our Father)
- the Benedictus
- the Apostles’ Creed
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